Quicker Than The Human Eye

A blur of a hurler (or camóg) by Dublin artist Aches (web) in Ballycastle, where the local GAA club is Mac Uilín/MacQuillan’s (web).

Previously by Aches in Belfast: Disruption | A Closer Look | Headaches

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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To The Ends Of The Earth

Here is another collection of images related to the Noah Donohoe campaign – this is now our twelfth post on the topic. The tarp and painted fencing, below, are from the Antrim Road, in north Belfast; the clothing bin is in bus turn-around just beyond Ligoniel; the sticker is in Dublin.

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First and last images Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
Middle two images Copyright © 2021 Sabine Troendle (web | Fb)
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Women Workers Of The World Unite

A tribute to the impact women have on industry in Cubist style from French, Dublin-based, artist Claire Prouvost (web | ig | tw) outside Transport House in Belfast (around the corner from Workers Of The World Unite).

You can see video of the artist at work on the piece for HTN on ig.

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Reject The Crown

“Commander in chief of British armed forces not welcome in Ireland – Irish blood on Englands’ [sic] hands. Reject the crown in Ireland.” 32CCSM (web | tw) launched a poster campaign to protest the visit by Queen Elizabeth on October 21st to celebrate the centenary of Northern Ireland. She did not end up attending as she was advised to rest (BBC) (and was in fact hospitalised – BBC); Boris Johnson attended (BelTel). The poster includes the Ballymurphy Massacre mural (originally on the Whiterock Rd and later on the Springfield Rd) and the front page of the Daily Mirror after Bloody Sunday in Derry, 1972.

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Feıs Na nGleann

Feıs Na nGleann is an annual festival of Irish language, arts, and crafts, begun in Glenariffe in 1904. The website has not been updated since 2019, presumably due to COVID putting a stop to activity.

The “F” makes reference to the local “Irish (Peasant) Home Industries“, while the “E” shows the harebell (bluebell) in flower. The “I” might be St Brigid as an oak or a reference to Princess Taisie/Taobhgheal of Rathlin.

Laura Nelson of Szu Szu Signs (ig).

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Workers Of The World Unite

“We always knew who was ‘essential’ and who keeps our society going … the working class. Thank you to all our members – keeping the country up and running.” Transport House, built in 1959 and once home of the TGWU, has been vacant and there have been plans to renovate it since at least 2019, without any apparent movement, perhaps due to the expense involved (tw). The modern union, Unite (tw), is supposed to move into it upon completion (tw).

The entrance to the building has been boarded up since 2012. For the previous art on the hoarding, see Unite The Union (one | two). The new (computer-generated and -printed) mural shows a graffitist surreptitiously painting a pro-union message.

Brendan Harkin has a gallery of images of the interior on Twitter.

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Homeless Jesus

‘Homeless Jesus’ shows a person with crucified feet sleeping outdoors on a bench. It was designed by Canadian sculptor Timothy Schmalz (web). The original is at the University Of Toronto and there are now well over 100 of them at churches and other public sites around the world (WP). This one is outside the Centenary House offices of Salvation Army, in Dunbar Link.

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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A Place For Everyone

“I loved it here, and still miss it. The characters that came into the shop … and I miss the craic!” The advertising hoardings at the corner of Ligoniel and Crumlin roads have been replaced with this community alcove with pavers and a space for “sharing positive stories together” at “the turn of the road” from Ballysillan towards Ligoniel village. The plaque to the UDA’s Bill Reynolds, which stood on the building where he was killed until the building was demolished (see the old plaque) and then replaced with a new plaque next to the hoarding, has been included.

“In loving memory [UDA] Lt. Col. Bill Reynolds murdered [by the IRA] 7-7-87. Always remembered by his family, friends and comrades. Quis separabit.”

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The Storyteller

Local storyteller Hugh Dillon in Castle Street, Ballycastle, by JMK (Jonny McKerr). The original photograph, of Dillon in Leyland Road, Ballycastle, in 1956 and is available at Dúchas.

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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McKelvey & Steele

This tarp, above the office of Sınn Féın Poblachtach and the Happy House on the Falls Road, celebrates two previous generations of IRA leadership. Joe McKelvey was commander of the Belfast Brigade of the IRA in the War Of Independence but against the Treaty; he was executed in December, 1922, for occupying the Four Courts in June (WP). Jimmy Steele was a leader in the Belfast IRA from the 1920s to 1960s and the first editor of Republican News; he died shortly after the split (WP).

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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